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Become a friend of St. Luke's on Facebook (St. Luke's Episcopal Church North Little Rock) and follow us on our website at www.stlukeepiscopal.org.
Want to donate to St. Luke's, send a pledge, or Memorial gift? Do so Here. |
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Carey's Conversations
...and the pillar Mizpah, for he said, 'The Lord watch between you and me, when we are absent one from the other.'
Genesis 31.49-50
Dear Friends,
There is a story of two lumberjacks, one a seasoned veteran, and the other an apprentice.
One day the lumberjacks were working feverishly sawing down trees in order to get in their quota. After only an hour or so, the seasoned veteran stopped sawing, then took his saw and disappeared into the woods. About 15 minutes later he came back with a cup of and smiles at the young apprentice who was still sawing away. When the apprentice saw him he was shocked, "What are you doing taking a coffee break, we'll never reach our quota!" To this the veteran lumberjack said, "It was time to stop and sharpen my blade."
I am extremely grateful for the people of St. Luke's! We have experienced growth in so many ways over these five years and I look forward to our future together. However, I must take a lesson from the lumberjacks and "Stop to sharpen my blade." What a great gift you have given of a sabbatical - time set apart so that I can stop and tend to my own body, mind, and spirit so that I may continue to be a life-giving presence.
I am getting excited about spending some time in reflecting, re-creating, and renewing my energy and passion for this great calling of being your priest. I plan on attending a conference for the Henri Nouwen Society in Toronto, as well as spiritual retreats closer to home such as the Arkansas House of Prayer, Subiaco, and a cabin on the Little Red River. My family and also look forward to reconnecting in deeper ways and visiting family and our annual pilgrimage to Cincinnati.
As I think about our time apart I am reminded of another story found in Genesis. It is about Jacob and Laban and a prayer and commitment they shared with each other before they parted for a season. They stacked up some stones and called it a Mizpah, which in Hebrew means watchtower. It would be a sign to them both that God would be watching over them for the period of time they were to be apart. Below you will see a modern day practice that has developed in order to signify this care of God when we are apart from loved ones. While I am away our Senior Warden will keep one of the key chains and I will keep the other. These halves will be united in August upon my return.
Shannon, Emily, and I thank you for your love and for this most generous gift.
Love in Christ,
Carey+
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From the Senior Warden
I want to thank those talented artists who turned in work to hang in the Parish Hall for the summer. If, for some reason, you didn't get to bring yours in please go ahead and bring it. The more the merrier!
With Fr. Carey on sabbatical, if there is anything that needs my attention please let me know. I plan on attending both services, alternating between 8:00 and 10:30 so I should be accessible, but my contact information is in the church directory as well.
During these summer months travel safely and remember Vacation Bible School for the youngsters.
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Bulletins
Anita House and her cousin, Zanda, go up to Wyoming every year. Her cousin became a Christian after visiting this church and now serves at an Episcopal Church in Fort Worth. The church is St. John's Episcopal Church, Jackson Hole and the new rector is The Reverend James "Jimmy" P. Bartz. Their bulletin is in color and talks about a nearby Chapel of Transfiguration opening in the Grand Teton National Park. One of their summer classes is on Poetry and Spiritual Practice. Their web site is www.stjohnsjackson.org.
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St. Luke's Summer Monster Food Drive and Can Sculpture Contest
This summer in May and June bring cans and boxes of food for Food Pantries in North Little Rock and St. Francis House and put in the green bucket in the narthex. At our Vacation Bible School closing on July 1 at St. Luke's there will be a can sculpture contest for our youth making sculptures from the can and box goods. Bring food every week and sign up with Joanna joannaseibert@me.com to be a participant or judge in the can sculpture contest. We will also need help being with the children on July 1 as they make their sculptures as well as help delivering the food to the pantries. Again, contact Joanna if you can help with this fun summer project.
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Abundance Orchard: Where Faith Grows and Hungry People are Fed
VBS will be June 27-July 1, 2016 from 9:00-11:30 a.m. This is a joint effort of Christ Episcopal Church and St. Luke's Episcopal Church. Ages 3 years - 5th grade are invited to participate. We encourage youth and adults to assist. Free to all! Sign up now! To register, email patricia.g.lewis@gmail.com with your child's name, age, grade they will be entering in fall, email, phone, and whether you can help as an adult volunteer. We can't wait!
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Wednesday Noon Eucharist
There will be no noon Eucharist on Wednesdays during Fr. Carey's sabbatical, from June 8th to Aug. 24th. Noon Eucharist will begin again on August 31st.
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Landscapes Wanted
We can't wait to see the exciting new artwork for the Parish Hall! Make sure you bring it to the office or give it to Suzzette by the end of the month. Any age, any media, all are welcome. Think "Landscapes"!
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MEET THE REV. CHRIS COATS
Chris was born in Homestead, Florida in 1950. In 1971 he joined the United States Navy and married His wife Barbara. They have two grown children and 5 grandchildren. After serving 14 years in the Navy as an air traffic controller, Chris answered the call to attend seminary at VTS and in 1988 he was ordained as an Episcopal priest. Since then he has served as rector of 3 congregations in the Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast and one congregation in the Diocese of Springfield. After ordination he entered the US Army Reserves to serve as a an Army chaplain. He retired from the military after 30 years of service and one tour in Iraq. In 2016, after 27 years of ministry, he retired to travel full time with his wife of 45 years. His hobbies are boating, flying his ultralight, and crossing the country in his RV. Rev. Coats will serve as priest June 12th- July 10th.
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Deacon's Bench
Staying connected to St. Luke's if you are traveling this summer
Take Out Church: A Summer Tool for Home and Traveling
"In this box are ways you can build God's Kingdom while on vacation. Just as we do on Sunday mornings at St. Luke, you will have opportunities for laughter and fellowship, to praise God, pray, learn God's word, give thanks, and serve. Through it all, we want you to remember to take Jesus with you. He is the most important thing in this box. Color Jesus and then take him with you everywhere you go. Snap a picture and email it to church so we can see where Jesus vacations this summer!...Have fun, be safe, and take church with you this summer!"
Bring back worship bulletins from churches you visit
We will feature these on a bulletin board and write a short paragraph for our newsletter the Evangelist and our social media sites Facebook.
Who Are You Jesus? A New App for Children
Posted by Suzanne Haraburd on May 13th, 2016
"With the guidance of Nouma, the animated dove, Who Are You, Jesus? enables children to engage directly with the words of the Bible."
The "Who Are You Jesus?" App
A new iPad app for children - based on the philosophy and pedagogy of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd - is now available. Who Are You, Jesus? offers a beautiful, inviting, and authentic encounter with Scripture that nurtures a child's inborn relationship with God. With the guidance of Nouma, a beautiful and playful animated dove, Who Are You, Jesus? lets children engage directly with the words of the Bible, regardless of their ability to read or write.
Delightful animated videos introduce and give pictorial clues to the content of each chapter. The heart of the app is then the Scripture portions, followed by wondering questions. Next, children are able to respond through recorded voice, typing, or drawing a picture. All responses are recorded and saved in the app, so that each child creates his or her own book about Jesus.
Joanna Seibert, Deacon
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From the Organ Bench
The Music list for 10:30am Mass, June 5th, the Third Sunday after Pentecost.
This Sunday is Fr. Carey's last before his Sabbatical begins. Unlike most other Sundays of the liturgical year when I am charged with drafting the music list myself, this Sunday Carey himself has chosen all the music for the day, even the service music, the hymns, and the organ repertoire.
Prelude: Praeludium in E-flat Major, BWV 552.1, J. S. Bach
Procession: The Church's One Foundation
Gloria: Scottish
Sequence: Praise My Soul, The King of Heaven
Anthem at the Offertory: Greater Love Hath No Man, J. Ireland
Sanctus: Missa Mariae Magdalenae, H. Willan (part of the Ordinary used at his ordination)
Fraction: Christ our Lord, G. Near
Anthem sub communione: I Sat Down Under His Shadow, E. Bairstow
Kneeling Hymn: My Song is Love Unknown
Final Hymn: Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
Postlude: Fugue in E-flat Major BWV 552.2, J.S. Bach
All of this music is, as is commonly the practice, drawn from the themes and content of the appointed lessons and Propers of the day. However, beyond the already profound message from the Book of Kings and the Gospel of St. Luke, that of praise, the reception of Grace, the preservation of the soul, and the potential for eternal salvation, the musical message this morning is a charge to the flock by a shepherd who must be away for a time. The texts of theses anthems will be printed in the bulletin. Retain that bulletin and use those texts as a starting point for prayer: prayer for Carey, for us his charges, and for the parish. In the anthems as well as the hymns of the day, the overwhelming theme is Love: of God, of Neighbor, of Church; and Strength: of Prayer, of God's promises, and of Faith; and Courage: in Adversity, in Uncertainty, and in Christian Hope. The service begins and concludes with the mammoth musical offering composed by J.S. Bach as the frontispiece and epilogue to his series of great organ chorales composed upon the hymns of the Ordinary. The E-Major is composed in a key with three flats, and the work develops and progresses to its glorious culmination through three themes, becoming ever more ornate, ever more stately and majestic. The Fugue is at home in the same three-flat key, but not simply one Fugue, but three-in-one. The first fugue is very upright, square, solid. The second quieter, flowing, syncopated, active, complex. The final is expansive, soaring, breathtaking. Together they form one Fugue upon the same subject. The musical metaphor here is obvious: this is the Unity in Trinity, that very graphic representation we learned and memorized from our Catechism classes as children. The proper way indeed to conclude the celebration of the Sacred Mysteries, with music that expresses that very Mystery, and which we have been charged to embrace even more intimately during the coming period when our own shepherd is absent.
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St. Luke's Day at Dickey Stephens Park - June 5th
St. Luke's Day at Dickey Stephens Park - June 5th: Come help us wish Fr. Carey best wishes for his sabbatical while enjoying hamburgers, hot dogs, and baseball. Tickets are $16 per person, ages 4 and up. 3 and younger are free. If you haven't gotten your tickets yet, you can buy them at the box office the day of the game. The gates and buffet open at 4:30 pm, the game starts at 5:30, and the buffet continues through 6:30.
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Breakfast at St. Luke's!!
We will have breakfast in the Parish Hall every Sunday from 9 to 9:30. Everyone is invited.
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Pocket Change for Building and Grounds Projects
Do you have change in your pockets or change purse? Do you think it is only a small amount and doesn't matter? Just image, if everyone donates and combines this pocket change, the total will continue to grow and needed projects will be funded and completed. A designated glass water bottle will be placed in the Narthex, remember, no amount of change is too small. Thank you from the Building and Grounds Committee.
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Outreach
VETS' Dinner: Our next Vets' Dinner for the Veteran's served by St. Francis House is planned for THURSDAY, June 23rd in the Parish Hall. The menu includes Chicken Spaghetti and "fixins'" provided by St. Luke's parishioners. Please see the sign up in the narthex for opportunities for you to contribute salad, bread, vegetables or vegetable casseroles and desserts. If you have questions on this, please contact Dan Dennis.
MONSTER FOOD DRIVE: We continue to collect canned and boxes of nonperishable food for Food Pantries in North Little Rock and St. Francis House in the green bucket in the narthex. At our Vacation Bible School closing on July 1 at St. Luke's there will be a can sculpture contest for our youth making sculptures from the can and box goods. Following the completion of the sculpture contest, the food will be distributed to area food pantries. We will also need help being with the children on July 1 as they make their sculptures as well as help delivering the food to the pantries. Sign up with Joanna joannaseibert@me.com to be a judge in the can sculpture contest. Contact Jeannie Fry at fryesque@centurytel.net if you would like to help with the sorting of food to be given to the food pantries after the contest is over.
FAMILY PROMISE SIGN UP: You may still sign up to help with this ministry. Or, IF YOU WISH TO DONATE to this ministry at St. Luke's, you can make your check out to St. Luke's, with "Family Promise" in the memo line, and place it in the offering plate or drop it or mail it to the office. If you want to become involved or have questions, please feel free to contact: Nancy Crow at 501.412.3865 nancycrow1@comcast.net or Jeannie Fry at 501.941.0430 or fryesque@centurytel.net .
BLUE BARREL DELIVERY REPORT: The week of May 22nd, the delivery team from St. Luke's made deliveries to shelters including River City Ministries (North Little Rock) and St. Francis House, Jericho Way and Dorcas House (all in Little Rock). On behalf of these shelters, we want to express thanks to DOK and our parishioners for your generous donations of toys, clothing, empty pill bottles, bottled water, insect repellent, toilet paper, paper towels, beanie weenies, individual packages of peanut butter and cheese crackers, and toiletries (toothbrushes, lotion, shampoo, etc.) . These donations were so well received; the homeless that we encountered and the shelters' staffs were so thankful to get these items! This summer there is an increased need for BOTTLED WATER and for INSECT REPELLENT. Also, these shelters' needs always include DETERGENT, PAPER PRODUCTS, beanie weenies, individually packaged snack crackers and toiletries. The next planned delivery date will be on the last Tuesday June. If you have questions or wish to help with the delivery team, please contact Betty Seymour, Don Wood, Sheryl Stewart or Tommie Williams
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Office Hours
Monday - Friday, 8 to 4
Closed: Saturday and Sunday
Office Phone: 501-753-4281
Office Fax: 501-753-4322
Email: stlukesnlr@gmail.com
The office is located behind the church at 4106 John F. Kennedy Blvd., North Little Rock, AR
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Prayer List
Anne Gontermann, Hudson Woods, Helen Snipan, Nina Goins, Sydnie Reedy, Barbara Coker, Megan Elizabeth Hall, Betty Miller, Chris Mikesell, Louis Jenkins, Gloria Holst, Bill Shepherd, Kailyn, Bobby and Gary Mackzum, Marilyn Gay, Christine Startz, Adam and Jessie Forrester, David Martin, Bernice Carrigan, Steve Fanning, Steven Sacks, Jill Cox, Gene Cox, Larry Stewart, James Hargreaves, Jennie Martin, Carle, Paula Kalina, Becky Simpson, Mary Schultz
Special Concerns: For all the men and women of our Armed Forces, especially Justin, Joshua, Bret, Brian Mahoney, Tim, Matt, Doug, Brian Mennes, Frank Tate, Alex Schimelpfening, David Liem, Justin, John Landis, Lucas Kunce, David Jackson
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On-Going Events and Programs
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